1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a centrifugal ring for the sealing between a rotatable bearing part a static bearing part on an axial outside of a rolling bearing, the centrifugal ring comprising a fastener for fastening the centrifugal ring to the rotatable bearing part and extending from the fastener substantially in a radial direction away from the axis of rotation of the centrifugal ring, a disk-shaped outer face of the centrifugal ring being intended to form part of the outside of the rolling bearing and a first end piece of the centrifugal ring forming both an outer circumference of the centrifugal ring and a cutoff edge located on the disk-shaped outer face. The invention further relates to a seal arrangement for rolling bearings, in particular wheel bearings having such a centrifugal ring.
2. Prior Art
Such a centrifugal ring is employed in seal arrangements which are used in radial rolling bearings, for example in wheel bearings for motor vehicles.
A large number of sealing lips, which form a sealing contact in a radial or axial direction, for example, increases the sealing efficiency of a seal arrangement for said rolling bearings, but this at the same time increases the coefficient of friction of the seal arrangement accordingly, so that more force and thereby more energy needs to be expended. Each seal arrangement represents a compromise between a requisite sealing effect and the desired energy consumption, or fuel consumption in the case of motor vehicles.
DE 38 38 824 A1 discloses a seal arrangement in the form of a cassette seal, which is formed from a static sealing ring and a rotatable centrifugal ring. The centrifugal ring comprises a formed sheet-metal part and an elastic part, the elastic part being supported by the formed sheet-metal part. The elastic part furthermore forms a cutoff edge on the disk-shaped outer face of the sealing ring, a radial sealing lip likewise being formed, which is in frictional sealing contact with a carrier plate of the sealing ring.
A cutoff edge on the axial outside of a rolling bearing provides a means of deflecting the radial direction of movement of the splash water from the radially outward directed movement at least partially into an axially directed movement. This serves to ensure that as the water moves away via the apertures of the seal gap between the rotatable bearing part and a static bearing part no water gets into the seal gap, and no dirt particles get into the seal arrangement, and ultimately washed into the roller compartment of the rolling bearing.
An outer seal labyrinth as afforded by a long, angled seal gap is also one way of achieving a contact-free sealing effect, but significantly increases the manufacturing effort involved in forming the sealing ring and cent fugal ring.